Process for making extruded articles of metal or other material.



. G. MELLEN. PROCESS FOB. MAKING EXTRUDED ARTICLES OF METAL OB. OTHER MATERIAL APPLICATION FILED APILZO, 1912.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914 Zave raf@ r:

UNITED STATE@ PATEN OFFI@ GRENVILLE MELLEN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TOA UNITED ALUMINUM INGOT COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

IEROCESS'FOR MAKING EXTRUDED ARTICLES METAL OR OTHER MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14, 191A.

Application filed April 20, 1912. Serial N0. 692,151.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GRENVILLE MELLnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain other fluid or plastic material, contained iny areceptacle and extruded through a die, the metal or other material congealing within the passage constituting the die, and being continuously removed therefrom; additional metal or plastic material being added to the receptacle from time to time, to permit the formation of articles of great length when desired. j

The annexed drawing illustrates an apparatus for carrying out my invention, in which- Figure 1 illustrates, partly in section, the crucible mounted in the furnace body, with the die and rolls; Fig. 2 illustrates a vlew at right angles to Fig. 1, partly in section, showing the crucible and feeding device attached to the cap; Fig. 3 illustrates a water-cooled dipl; and F ig. 4 illustrates a pair of finishing ro s.

In the illustrations, a crucible 11 made of a metal that will sustain a suiliciently high pressure when heated suiiiciently to keep 'molten the metal or alloy used in forming,

the extrudedproducts, is removably placed within a furnace 29, the lower end of the crucibleprojecting through the bottom of the furnace, as shown. The crucible should.

be made from such metal as hi h-speed tool steels, such as the tungsten stee s, which are especially adapted to this use; although other metals or alloys having the property of sustaining high pressures when at, or above, a red heat, are also applicable. At the top of the crucible is a collar 13 having trunnions 14-oneither side; mounted on the trunnionsis a brace'15 having a threaded hole 16 in the upper part; coperatin with the brace is a pressure-screwV 17 attac ed to a handle 18, and which can be turned to exert pressure against a removable cap 19 covering the opening to the crucible 11. The cap 19 is provided with an openin 20 at which is attached an automatic feeding device 12'to supply a material, such as water, oil, etc., adapted to expand and exert pressure against the surface of the molten m'etal, forcing it through a die at the base of the crucible. The automatic feeding device preferably used is the subject-matter of my application Serial Number 692,150, filed.

April 20, 1912, and serves to maintain a constant gaseous pressure within the crucible. At the base of the crucible is an opening 21 into which is inserted a removable die 22, the bore 23 lof'which is of the shape to produce the metal article'desired. Surrounding the die is a Water-jacket 24 provided with openings for the entrance and exit of water,

and also may be provided with means to carry olf steam should its formation vendanger the safety of the die. Adjacent the orifice of the die are finishing rolls 26 which join each other tightly and serve to compress the extruded metal into a dense body, without leaving a web of metal on the sides of the wire or rod. The lower part of the crucible is surrounded by a supporting ring 27 which rests upon a suitable base-plate 28.

vSurrounding the crucible isa suitable furnace 29,' having a flame passage 30, which is closed by a door 31, through which may project any suitable oil or gas burner; or the flame passage may be connected'to a coal burning fire-box, and heated with coal. The furnace is lined with suitable refractory fire-brick 32. Above the supporting ring 2.7

is a row of fire-brick 33 which can be removed to permit the removal of the crucible 11 when desired.

At 34 is an outlet for the products of combustion.

The exposed parts of the crucible are suitably covered with asbestos or the like to prevent heat losses.

The water-cooled die,'shown in Fign3, is preferably made with the waterjacket elliptical, having the die at the lower focus, and water entrancejand exit pipes 35 opposite the horizontal axis of the die. IThis arrangement gives a large water space above crucible.

the die to allow for the accumulation of any steam; 'a pipe 36 may also be provided to conduct off steam, if formed.

The rolls shown in Fig. 4 are the usual metal-finishing rolls used in rolling rod, pipe, etc., and adjusted so that the rolls press very tightly against each other, giving a finished appearance, and without leaving a web, on the article produced.

'The process for making the extruded metal er material is conducted as follows: The furnace is heated to a temperature sufficient to maintain the metal in a fluid state, molten metal is poured in the crucible at the top, and the cap placed on and clamped tightly against the collar by means of the screw 17. lhe brace 15 being mounted on trunnions, may be swung to one side while filling the The feeding device is now attached to the cap 19 at its opening 20, and Water or other suitable fiuid from any suitable source and under sufficient ressure to force the metal through the die 1s admitted through the feeding device. The heat of the crucible and its contents converts the fluid into vapor, which fills the space above the molten metal; and When the vapor-pressure within the erucible exceeds the duid-pressure, the feeding-device automatically shuts olf the Huid-supply until the vapor pressure within the crucible is below that of the fiuid, when the feeding-device automatically admits more fiuid, thus forming more vapor;

when the pressure of the latter exceeds that ofthe fluid, the feeding-device lautomatically closes the supply until the pressure is again reduced. By this method, the vapor-pressure within the crucible is maintained practically constant.

Since some molten metals react with steam, forming an oxid and separating hydrogen, I may substitute for water an oil which volatilizcs without decomposition; or l may add a readily fusible flux to the crucible which will cover the surface of the met-al and protect it from oxidation. The oil vapor would reduce some metallic oxids, and serve to keep the meta-l eleang'the layer of flux would combine with, or absorb, any oxids en the surface of the metal and serve to purify it. A reducing flux, such as potassium eyanid, would serve both purposes with some metals.

The pressure of the steam within the Crucible forces the metal through the die 22 wherein it is solidified by the cooling action of the water-jacket. fter leaving the die, the article produced, such as late, rod, angle bar, tube, wire, etc., depen ing upon the die used, is passed through the finishing rolls 2G, wherein it is compressed to a dense body, and the surface of the article given a finished appearance. yThese rolls have an 'A opening preferably smaller than the openneef/rese ing in the die, and are so perfectly adjusted as not to leave any seam upon the metal showing the place of contact of the rolls.

The heated Water from the Water-jacket surrounding the die may, .if desired, be used in the automatic feeding device" and injected .into the Crucible, thus reducing, to some extent, the quantity of heat which Would be absorbed from the crucible and its contents.

After the process has been properly started, very little fuel is required to continue the operation.

In the claims, the expressions gaseous state, gaseous pressure, and gas pressure are intended to describe vaporized oil, or steam, or any other vapor, or gas, or volatilized liquid, that may beused in this process. So, also, the term molten is intended to linclude the conditions of semifluid, plastic, flowing, etc., through which metals and other materials pass on heating.

l claim 1. The process of forming extruded products, comprising maintaining a material molten in a closed chamber, injecting a liquid under pressure into the chamber above the molten material, expanding the liquid to a gas, maintaining the gas under substantially constant pressure, and pressing the molten material through a die by the compressed gas.

2. The process of forming extruded products, comprising maintaining a material molten in a closed chamber, injecting water under pressure into the chamber above the molten material, expanding the water to steam, maintaining the steam under substantially constant pressure and pressing the molten material through a die by the compressed steam.

3. rlhe process of forming extruded products, comprising maintaining a material molten in a closed chamber, injecting water under pressure into the chamber above the molten material, expanding the water to steam, maintaining the steam under substantially the same pressure as the water, and pressing the molten material through a die by the compressed steam.

4. The process of forming extruded metal products, comprising maintaining a material molten in a closed chamber, protecting the metal from oxidation by a covering efflux, injecting into the chamber above the metal a liquid under sufficient pressure to press the molten metal through a die, expanding the liquid to a compressed as, maintainin the gas pressure substantial y equal to the liquid pressure, pressing the molten metal through a die by the compressed gas, and solidifying the metal in the die.

5. The process of forming extruded metal products, comprising maintaining a metal molten in a c osed chamber, injecting into the chamber abovethe metal water under pressure,

suicent pressure to press the molten metal through a die, expanding the water to steam under pressure by the heat of the chamber and the molten metal, pressing the molten metal through a die by the compressed steam While maintaining the steam pressure substantially the same as that of the Water 

